Music Director and Conductor of Markham Symphony Orchestra, Maestro Ephraim Cheung, holds a Master of Music Degree in performance from the world’s prestigious Cleveland Institute of Music and Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio (1986, U.S.A.). He was a recipient of the Anton Rubinstein General Scholarship and Institute Scholarship, and was additionally awarded the Grand Teton Music Festival Scholarship.

As a conductor, Maestro Cheung studied orchestral conducting with Carl Topilow and Louis Lane(Former resident conductor, Cleveland Orchestra). his early violin teachers were disciple of Yuri Yankelevich, and Leonid Korgan, from Beijing and Shanghai Conservatory of Music. Being a virtuoso violinist, violist, chamber and orchestral musician, He has studied and worked in master classes as well as collaborated with world-renowned artists, including: Carl Pini (disciple of Galamian and Heifetz, Leader of the London String Quartet, Concertmaster of Hong Kong Philharmonic, Philharmonia Orchestra of London, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra) , Edward Ormond, Robert Vernon, David Cerone, Eugene Gratovich, Bernhard Goldschmidt, Atar Arad, Wayne Crouse, Andrew Cooperstock, and chamber groups such as the Tornoni Quartet, London Quartet, Emerson Quartet, and Cleveland Quartet.

Maestro Cheung’s dedication as a full-time performer, pedagogue and conductor has brought him to many countries including Hong Kong, Australia, Korea, United States and Canada. He has given solo recitals and orchestral performances in many universities and major concert halls such as the Hong Kong Cultural Centre & City Hall. His performances have been heard on radio and television broadcasts including Radio Television Hong Kong. He has played in numerous professional orchestras as member or principal chair, among them include the Oklahoma City Orchestra, Norman Chamber, Lima Symphony, Lima Chamber, Hong Kong Philharmonic, Hong Kong Chamber Orchestra, and Hong Kong Government Music Instructors’ Orchestra. As the Principal violist, Moestro Cheung got invited by the Music Director, Joseph Firszt to solo his friend's Polish work, Penderecki Viola Concerto with the Lima Symphony Orchestra in 1993.

As a highly demanded pedagogue, Ephraim Cheung has taught students ranging from preparatory to university levels. Having served violin faculty as well as chamber music coach and continuing education at the New England Conservatory of Music since 2015; He has served as Head and Coordinator of the College Instrumental Program as well as Music Director and Conductor of the College Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra and Preparatory Orchestra at St. Stephen’s College in Hong Kong (1988-92) and Strings faculty member in the Creative Arts Program at Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, Ohio (1992). Cheung has students majoring in violin performance at the Royal Conservatory of Music, University of Toronto, Eastman School of Music and the Juilliard School. Upon recommendation by Donald Weilerstein, he partner teaches his own daughter, Mercedes Cheung, with Weilerstein (Faculty, Juilliard School and NEC-Dorothy Starling Richard Chair, who also partner teaches with Itzhak Perlman & Miriam Fried). In 2008, he served as President and was on the violin and viola faculty at Bravo Music Academy and Instrumental Inc., Thornhill. Cheung’s students have frequently won honors and awards and have been invited to perform as soloists with orchestras as well as hold full time music teaching jobs and orchestral positions in Singapore, Hong Kong, Canada and the U.S.A. His students have been winners of Provincial Competitions, Kiwanis, Arts Richmond Hill (overall division winner for 7 consecutive years), Pickering Metro East and Pickering Rotary Music Festivals. In one of the Pickering Rotary Music Festival, his students have coveted the awards for junior, intermediate and senior strings divisions within the same festival that year. Ephraim Cheung plays on a Giovanni Paolo Maggini 1623

CONCERTMASTER / SOLO ARTIST

Canadian Chinese violinist, Mercedes Cheung (Zhang梅賽得斯), speaks fluent French, English, Spanish and Mandarin. Mercedes
has already performed in some of the greatest international scenes, including
her Carnegie Hall debut where she featured the complete Paganini's 24
Caprices by heart at age 10. and have recorded same program on DVD and CD, all
in one take, released in May 2012. Her
orchestral debut at the age of 10, with the Markham Symphony Orchestra at
the Markham Theatre. In 2014, Mercedes has
been invited by Shlomo Mintz to solo with him in Switzerland. Mercedes won the
Metrowest Symphony Orchestra Young Artist Soloist in 2015 - 2016 Season in
Boston. Mercedes was the Silver Medalist
of the "2014 Teen's Talent Show"- American Youth Talent and Arts Competition in New York. She has been awarded full scholarships from
three major institutes namely the Juilliard School, the New England Conservatory
of Music and the Phil and Eli Taylor Performance Academy for Young Artists of
the Toronto Royal Conservatory of Music. Mercedes has been documented and
interviewed by international and national televisions as well as radio
stations, and newspapers and magazines Mercedes
is the Winner of the prestigious 2010 Achievement and Civic Recognition Award (ACRA)
in the Cultural Category, along with other category winners: Seneca College
President, David Agnew & Co-Founders of "Free the Children",
Craig & Marc Kielburger. In 2011 and 2013, she
was invited twice to perform as guest artist at the Banff Centre Summer Music
Artists Concerts. Mercedes currently studies at Juilliard with Donald
Weilerstein, Li Lin, and her father. Mercedes' upcoming performances including:
solo recital at Paul Hall, Lincoln Centre on January 12nd 2019 and with Ontario
Philharmonic Orchestra as Guest Concertmaster on December 22nd & 23rd, 2018
Christmas Concert. Mercedes plays on a Giovanni
Paolo Maggini 1623.

CELLIST / SOLO ARTIST

Markham Symphony Orchestra Principal cellist, Brandon Wilkie. He started playing cello at age 14 in his native town of Pembroke, Ontario. Since then he has participated in masterclasses with Aldo Parisot at the Banff Centre and Janos Starker at the Orford Academy. He has also been featured as a soloist with several community orchestras, playing concertos by Elgar, Dvorak and Haydn. Brandon has a special interest in chamber music and opera and he hopes to continue to pursue both in his musical career. He recently completed his Bachelor degree at U of T studying with Shauna Rolston. In his final year, he was a finalist in the school's concerto competition and his chamber group was awarded the Galimir Prize for chamber music excellence.